Pianomania2009

PIANOMANIA takes you into the secret world of sounds, a place where passion and the pursuit of perfection collide with artistic obsession and a little bit of madness. As Steinway & Sons’ chief technician and Master Tuner in Vienna, Stefan Knüpfer is dedicated to the unusual task of pairing world-class instruments with world-famous pianists. Juggling the demands of the pianist, the piano, and the piece to find the perfect match requires boundless enthusiasm, but also endless patience and nerves of steel. No detail is too small or too inconsequential for Knüpfer, not even the tiniest speck of dust on a piano string. PIANOMANIA is a humorous and surprisingly suspenseful peek into the heated clash of wills between a genius craftsman and the renowned pianists who rely on his talent (including Lang Lang, Alfred Brendel, Rudolf Buchbinder and Pierre-Laurent Aimand) as they search together for that elusive perfect tone.

Member Reviews (6)

This film delves into the obsession with sound quality in the world of piano performance. The care, the fastidiousness, the expertise with which the Steinway technician prepared all of the pianos, bringing in new devices to alter the piano's sound, evaluated various Steinways for their particular sound, demonstrated fully, painfully the love of the piano's sonorous possibilities. I certainly couldn't hear all of what the technician could hear, but I could appreciate how it is possible for such to be heard, appreciated, treasured, much more after watching this film.

It probably won't appeal to many viewers, but I found it fascinating. I didn't realize how much knowledge and work could go into tuning a piano. Here we have a master tuner at the Vienna Concert House striving to provide a perfect sound for one of our greatest players. But, maybe many others will get caught up in this adventure, too. I am always fascinated by people who are masters of their craft, no matter what it is.

Loved it. I am a collector of piano music. So this was a great behind the scenes eye opener for me. Learning about the character of a grand piano compared to another grand piano was surprising. I just never thought about it. The piano tuner is such an important technician for the pianist. Film was well edited, logical scripted and lots of human detail. Very engaging.